The Difference Between a Genius and an Ordinary Person is..

I practice a few forms of meditation, sometimes breathing meditation before teaching yoga, or Vipasana guided meditation, but Today I was doing my morning meditation chanting some Nam myoho renge kyo’s  (a 3,000 year old mantra that means devotion to the mystic law of cause and effect through the Buddha’s teaching), which I do every morning and read some guidance from the Master teacher Daisaku Ikeda who said:

“Do you give up the struggle to overcome your own limitations on the first attempt, or do you keep on with it, trying a second time, a third time, and continuing on in the challenge for the rest of your life? That is the only difference between the genius and the ordinary person.  When all is said and done, winning over oneself –personal triumph– is the only way forward.”

Fortunately I don’t suffer from lack of motivation or courage, but I watch close friends suffer immensely from their own limitations and often give up blaming thier situation on forces out of their control.  But if you really take this quote to heart, rising above your limitations simply means “Keep on with it”.  Over time, by sheer law of cause and effect, something has to happen.  This isn’t just mystic mumbo, this is science.  Every cause has an effect, even if you can’t see it immediately, it will manifest somewhere sometime.

To me the ability or realization that … No matter what, my cause will have an effect, creates the state of Genius.   We can even look into history at all the greats of time including Einstein himself, who made 10 years of causes before the theory of E=MC2 popped out of his head.  Just like Shaw Shank Redemption “time and pressure”  over a sustained period of time will create definite results and “SET Yourself Free.” (listen to the song on in the player on the left if you haven’t already heard it).

So how do you maintain faith in this indisputable law of cause and effect and remain a Genius?
Practice.. of course you have to practice it and in my opinion, you can expedite it by connecting to your source through a regular spiritual practice.  Look at all the great masters of time and you’ll see they all had some form of spiritual practice.  If it is legit, a spiritual practice will connect you almost instantaneously with infinite courage, compassion and wisdom.   This is Genius!